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Monday, July 8, 2013

Upcoming Projects (realistic and unrealistic)

I am an ambitious planner and often will organize all the details for a project without ever doing it. Here are the projects I'd like to do in the near future. Let's see how many I actually begin let alone finish!

A 1910s corset; white, ivory, or pale pink with lots of lace and ribbons. I'll need to find some garter hooks and garters as well as make a lacy frothy pair of combinations.

Six 1910s evening gowns (I know it sounds both ambitious and unnecessary but I need to outfit about half of a party!) They will all be made to my size and unfortunately most I will not be able to fit over a corset because I will probably be the only one wearing one. Sometimes accuracy must be compromised for practicality. So I have tried to design several so as not to necessarily need a corset. I'm making a harem pant outfit like Sybil's, a few drapey gowns, and one late teens one with lots of silk taffeta ruffles.

I would like to make a robe á l'Anglaise in a blue and ivory stripe lined in pale pink worn with a cream petticoat. I was first inspired by a picture I saw at the Villa Ephrussi of a woman in a lovely purple taffeta jacket with oyster colored ribbons and petticoat (which I also want). On her chair is presumably a dress in blue and white stripes that appears to be lined in pale pink. It is so sweet and whimsical and appealing that I got inspired immediately. I was also reminded of the beautiful dress worn by Ducreux in her self portrait with a harp and the blue dress from the beginning of The Duchess that has a surprise lining as well.

4. With my fascination with Oxford and my interest in women's educational History, I was very inspired by the book Bluestockings by Jane Robinson. Therefor I decided I wanted to make an outfit or two of an early female undergraduate at Oxford. Since I've worked so much with the 1920s I wanted to go earlier and I (clearly) have a lot of 1910s on my plate so (though I may still make some 1910s day wear) I decided to try a scholarly outfit from about 1900. A skirt and blouse with a bolero...

That's it for now but who knows what my sewing schedule will actually turn out to be!

2 comments:

Wow Caroline! That is alot to take on, but knowing you, I am sure you will be able to complete many of the projects. Good luck! I have been following your blog for about the past 9 months now, and I am always anticipating new posts. Each and every one of your projects that you undertake astound me, and I am frequently found running around the house with your blog brought up on my laptop to show my mom or dad what remarkable piece you have just brought to life. Oh, and of course I am super envious of that spectacular trip you just had in Europe! I aspire to be a seamstress like you! Please don't ever stop blogging! ~ xoxo Maddie K.

Thanks Maddie you are so sweet! I was still pretty sure that nobody reads my blog so it's really weird to know that people actually follow it! Now that I know you do I'll try and post more often (-: ! I can't wait to spend time with you in costumes crew, the fall musical is officially All Shook Up. It's set in 1957, is based off of 12th night and is all Elvis music. It'll be lots of fun!